Adults and children find Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)a fascinating plant. The seeds are large and easily planted by children, making Job's Tears a good selection in a Children's Garden. Botanically and as a natural food source, Job's Tears is a member of the family Poaceae (grass family) and is considered a gluten-free, whole grain.
We grow Job's Tears in pots on a sunny porch. To me, the tall green blades look similar to lemon grass. By the end of the summer at around this time (early September), perfectly round bead seeds emerge like magic.
The seeds develop a hard outer shell and are much too difficult to hull the quantity needed for use as a whole grain. Hulled Job's Tears (hato mugi) grain can be found in Korean specialty markets.
When left on the plant to mature, green seeds the size of canna seeds - about 1/4-inch in diameter - eventually turn darker in color. Homegrown seeds can then be picked, dried and saved to grow more plants the following season or used as actual beads in jewelry making.
Over 30,000 people have read my article on Dave's Gardens!
You
can easily and sustainably grow your own garlic. A single clove grows into a whole bulb! Fresh garlic adds great flavor and nutrition to foods. When roasted, the flavor becomes sweet. Roasted garlic* is delicious added to vegetable dishes or as a spread on homemade whole grain bread. Most people think garlic is garlic. But
did you know there are literally hundreds of different types of
garlic with differing degree of garlic taste and flavors? Typical
supermarket bulbs are large and bright white and usually come from China, the worlds biggest producer.
Purchase garlic from a supplier or, if you don’t mind not knowing exactly what
the variety
is, pick up fresh bulbs at your farmers market and
plant the cloves. Select firm, organic bulbs (non-organic bulbs
may have been treated to hinder sprouting). Garlic from suppliers is usually shipped late September or early October.
Garlic Varieties Garlic species are divided into softnecks var. sativum and hardneck var. ophioscorodon.
Hardnecks–
are cold hardy with stronger garlic flavor. Hardneck varieties grow scapes. You can cut off and use the mild flavored herbal scapes as you would garlic chives in your
recipes. The main hardneck types are Rocambole, Purple Stripe and Porcelain. Varieties include: Duganski, Deerfield Purple, German Extra Hardy, Purple Glazer and Rossa di Sulmona. Dig up and harvest the garlic bulbs after their green growing stalks turn brown, in June or July.
Softnecks
– have milder garlic flavor and are ready to dig up sooner (sometimes
by April) than Hardneck varieties. Softneck garlic is usually the type sold in supermarkets because they have a longer shelf life. They are not as cold hardy and can be
grown in warmer climates. The main types are Artichokes and Silverskins. Homegrown softneck garlic can be traditionally braided and hung in your kitchen. Varieties include Early Italian White, Early Italian Purple, Italian Late, White Sicilian and Chinese Pink.
Elephant Garlic Allium ampeloprasumis very mild in flavor and is not really a true garlic.
Easy to Grow
Garlic, along with onions, leeks and shallots are members of the Alliaceae family and are really easy to grow. Children can be big helpers too when it comes to planting garlic. Garlic cloves are large - the perfect size for little fingers to grip and push into the soil. Planting Garlic Fall-planted
garlic works well for Northern and gardeners who have cold
winters. Gardeners in Southern areas, with mild winter weather, can
plant garlic in late winter or early spring. Garlic can be planted in rows in prepared garden beds or can be grown as a companion plant alongside some plants (cabbage, beets, roses) because of garlic's natural pesticide properties.
First break
apart the bulb, separating the cloves. Each individual clove will mature into whole bulb of garlic
by the following summer. There is no need to peel each
clove.
Using a small shovel or trowel, make a trench a few inches deep for how ever many rows you wish to plant.
I then like to push my finger in the soil before putting in each clove. The space between each clove should be around 3-4-inches to assure room in between for the clove to grow into a bulb.
Position each clove flat side down in each hole with the pointed tip up (roots grow down from the flat part).
After you get all the cloves in the dirt, position stakes or signs so you remember where they're planted.
Cover the cloves up with dirt, gently patting down the soil. No need to water them. Let mother nature do the rest.
Get a jump-start on your Garden Start Seeds Indoors
As winter blankets the outdoors we are reminded that January and February is a good time to determine which vegetables, flowers and herbs would benefit by starting them indoors before the last frost. Starting healthy vegetables from seeds offers great personal satisfaction to those who enjoy gardening. Seeds are far less expensive than plants, plus you can grow varieties that might not be available at your local garden centers in the Spring. All of our home garden annuals, with the exception of a few spontaneous purchases here and there, are grown from seeds.
For more information about starting vegetable seeds indoors and to learn how to save hundreds of dollars by making your our own seedling grow light rack - check out my Dave's Garden article, 'Starting Seeds Indoors'.
Have fun planning your garden and if you have kids - get them involved. Studies have shown that children who garden eat more fruits and vegetables.
I'm not fond of public speaking, but I went ahead and made the commitment to participate as a Chef - Nutritionist for Operation Frontline ® at our local food bank, The Food Bank of South Jersey.The program is founded by Share Our Strength ®, a national organization that wants no kid in America to grow up hungry. The program involves Chefs, Nutritionists and Registered Dietitians and stresses that when children and families learn how to shop for and prepare healthy, low cost meals; they can avoid the undesirable health and economic effects from hunger and poor dietary nutrition.
Operation Frontline (now known as Cooking Matters) currently operates in 17 states and the District of Columbia. The curriculum is fun and is designed to teach children ages 8-12 about nutrition, foods, cooking and food safety. Operation Frontline workers volunteer to share their knowledge. The Nutritionists teach why it is important to make eating well part of a healthy lifestyle. The Chefs teach how to easily prepare and cook healthy, affordable meals. This exciting new program made its debut in January 2010.
Operation Frontline involves several of my favorite interests, including: cooking, nutrition, food safety and depending on the class, planting seeds and vegetables. I wanted to blog about this to help spread the word about this beneficial program, especially since they depend on volunteers like you and me. Operation Frontline needs your help to bring this program to as many at-risk children and families as possible. They could also use financial support from corporate and culinary school sponsorships. Check out their website for details and to see how you can help (link posted below).
My first class experience was to watch an Operation Frontline team in action. I went to the last day of the program at Cooper’s Poynt Professional Development School, a pre K – 8 family school in North Camden, New Jersey. And it was serious business! The children (ages 8-12) were doing their grand finale ‘Iron Chef’ cook-off. The frenzy of excitement filled the former Home Economics room, as the children concentrated on what they needed to do to create a meal, without a recipe, using their knowledge and skills learned from the previous classes.
Iron chef is a Food network television show, which was a spin off from the Japanese series that ran in Japan from 1993 – 2002. Iron Chef America entered the scene in 2004. Iron chefs quickly prepare their culinary creations using given ingredients, while feverishly working against the clock.
The children 'Iron chefs' were quite impressive as they showed off their newly learned skills. Eager student leaders from each group presented and explained to the head chef what they had made, how they had made it and what food groups it contained. It was exciting to see such bright and talented children enthusiastically preparing healthy, low-cost, and tasty meals in the Operation Frontline program. The program's hands-on cooking and nutrition education activities really energized the kids participating in the program.
Names of the participants withheld to protect their identities and privacy. Cooking Matters ® is nationally sponsored by ConAgra Foods Foundation and Walmart.
Mrs. Obama's contagious enthusiasm inspires Americans of all ages to get up and move. In fact, while you view the video, why not stand up and move around?
The First Lady kicked off the White House South Lawn Series on May 25, 2010, attracting nearly 100 local children and coaches to have fun and participate in sports and activities. Obama's clear message in the first of this series, was for children to get at least 60 minutes of activity a day and to spread the word to their families and friends to do the same.
I’ve never seen an American First Lady wearing sneakers and running and exercising. Her fancy footwork reminded me of PE class moves I did in grade-school, back in the days when there was always time made for kids' gym and fitness classes.
Exercise and Eating Right
Last year the White House debuted the WH Kitchen Garden, bringing national attention to local fresh fruits, vegetables and gardening, and as Michelle Obama said, "...It helped us start a conversation about eating right..."
Eating right is one of the many things Registered Dietitians are able to help you do. The American Dietetic Association, with over 70,000 members, stands strongly behind First Lady Michelle Obama’s nationwide Let’s Move campaign to fight the childhood obesity epidemic.
March brings us National Nutrition Month, an annual program sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. This year's theme, 'Nutrition from the Ground Up', brings to mind my favorite subjects: gardening, food, health and nutrition. We all know that in order to live, we need nutrition and energy from food. And, where does all food originate? Wholesome, nutritious food, both for us and for farm animals, grows from seeds planted in the garden! Gardens and farms offer learning opportunities that can provide meaningful experiences and influence healthy-lifestyle changes for all of us - especially children.
Grains, grasses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and edible flowers, all come from a farm or garden somewhere. Children find farms and gardens absolutely fascinating and welcome the opportunity to participate. Children actually enjoy, and even ask for more, fruits and vegetables after having a helping-hand in planting and harvesting them. Children who experience gardening have multiple opportunities to learn aboutworking cooperatively, science, math, art, reading, writing, weather, wildlife, insects, and all about plant life, food, health and nutrition.
Gardens do not have to be located just in your own backyard either; school, camp, and public children's gardens are gaining popularity throughout the nation. During recent years, I have had the pleasure and opportunity to visit and research several children's gardens. Look for my top 10 Plant Picks for a Children's Garden in articles published on www.davesgarden.com. 'Celebrate National Nutrition Month by Gardening with Children' Part 1- Best Plants for Gardening with Kids
Credits: Eat Right logo is a registered trademark of the American Dietetic Association. Children in Garden Photograph taken at HealthBarnUSA with permission.
A quick observation will confirm that obesity in America is much more prevalent than ever before. The Centers for Disease, Control and Prevention (CDC) confirm that after smoking, obesity has become the primary lifestyle-related cause of disease and death in the United States. Obesity tops the list of growing global health concerns and is one of America's primary health and economic concerns. British celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver, well known on The Food Network, took his passion for fighting obesity in the UK to the obesity battleground right here in America. Jamie Oliver was the recipient of this year's prestigious 2010 TEDPrize award.
What is TED?
In 1984 a small, nonprofit group dedicated to Ideas Worth Spreading began to bring together inspiring people from Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED). Over three decades since then, TED has grown and has an annual conference in Long Beach, California and in Oxford UK (TEDGlobal). TED also boasts a community program, TEDx, a video site, TEDTalks, and TEDIndia.
Take a look at the video of Chef Jamie Oliver's recent TED prize award speech, shown below. This speech, along with Jamie's ongoing efforts, will aide in generating increased funding and public awareness about the seriousness of obesity on public health.
Chef Jamie stressed how we must make healthier choices, increase education about food, continue adding gardens, and bring back simple cooking techniques in the home. He urges all Americans to support first lady, Michelle Obama, in her Let's Move initiative calling for healthy choices, healthier schools, physical activity and affordable and accessible healthy food for America's children.
What caught my eye most about Jamie’s award speech was his passion and obvious dedication to improve America's school lunch program for the sake of our children. Chef Jamie points out the importance of food and nutrition education, along with the need for healthier recipes using more locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.
Children Deserve Better Jamie Oliver's energy and fight for this cause was fueled by the lack of nutrition that also faces school lunch programs in his homeland, the UK. Jamie Oliver created the UK's Feed Me Better campaign, which generated interest from over 200,000 people, prompting the government to pledge $550 million towards improving school lunch programs in the UK.
Chef Jamie also starred in the award-winning UK series Jamie's School Dinners and Jamie's Return To School Dinners. His shows generated a public outcry for change in the school meals system and his work continues to be recognized by the British government.
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Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (click image) is published every 5 years since 1980 by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The new guidelines were released Jan 7, 2026. Dietary Guidelines provide scienced-based, food and nutrition guidelines for people (age 2 and older). Good dietary habits promote health and reduce the risk for major chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. The guidelines serve as the basis for Federal food and nutrition education programs. Healthcare professionals like myself utilize the recommendations in practice.
Help Feral and Stray Cats
Lucky Lucy rescued from Bridgeton, NJ
Help Feral and Stray Cats
RIP Jazzy boy; Sept. 14, 2022. This once terrified wall climber wasn't feral at all. He just ended up living outside for years patiently waiting to be rescued. Free roaming tomcats can get FIV. Jazzpurr had FIV; he went fully blind in 2021. So glad we rescued this boy. He lived his best life with us.
Eat more Plant Foods!
Plant Sterols look similar to Cholesterol and block Cholesterol from being absorbed
.
Member: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, NJDA, A.N.D. Food & Culinary Professionals DPG and Weight Management DPG
As of January 2012, The American Dietetic Association (ADA), the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals was officially renamed the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (A.N.D.). A.N.D. is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) ~ Dietary sources of vitamin C include fruits and vegetables: particularly Acerola (West Indian Cherry), Rose Hips, Lychee, Guavas, Currants, Red Peppers, Ziziphus Jujuba (Korean date), Persimmons, Oranges, and Papayas
About 10 million females and 1 million males in the U.S. battle eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, with millions more suffering from binge eating disorders
Most eating disorders occur during puberty and the late teen/early adult years, however, symptoms can begin as young as kindergarten
More than one in three normal dieter’s progress to pathological dieting
